Compound Butters for Grills and for the Completion of Sauces
With the exception of those of the shell-fish order, the butters, whose formulæ I am about to give, are not greatly used in kitchens. Nevertheless, in some cases, as, for instance, in accentuating the savour of sauces, they answer a real and useful purpose, and I therefore recommend them, since they enable one to give a flavour to the derivatives of the Velouté and Béchamel sauces which these could not acquire by any other means.
With regard to shell-fish butters, and particularly those of the common and spiny lobster and the crayfish, experience has shown that when they are prepared with heat (that is to say, by melting in a [bain-marie] a quantity of butter which has been previously pounded with shell-fish remains and afterwards strained through muslin into a basin of iced-water where it has solidified) they are of a finer colour than the other kind and quite free from shell particles. But the heat, besides dissipating a large proportion of their delicacy, involves considerable risk, for the slightest neglect gives the above preparation quite a disagreeable taste. To obviate these difficulties I have adopted a system of two distinct butters, one which is exclusively calorific
and prepared with heat, and the other which is prepared with all the creamy parts, the trimmings and the remains of common and spiny lobsters, without the shells, pounded with the required quantity of fresh butter and passed through a sieve. The latter is used to complete sauces, particularly those with a Béchamel base to which it lends a perfect savour.
I follow the same procedure with shrimp and crayfish butters, [54] ]sometimes substituting for the butter good cream, which, I find, absorbs the aromatic principles perhaps better than the former. With the above method it is advisable to pass the butter or the cream through a very fine sieve first and afterwards through tammy, so as to avoid small particles of the pounded shell being present in the sauce.
[139—BERCY BUTTER]
Put into a small stewpan one-quarter pint of white wine and one oz. of finely-chopped shallots, scalded a moment. Reduce the wine by one-half, and add one-half lb. of butter softened into a cream; one teaspoonful of chopped parsley, two oz. of beef marrow cut into cubes, poached in slightly salted water and well drained, the necessary table-salt, and, when dishing up, a little ground pepper and a few drops of lemon-juice.
This butter must not be completely melted, and it is principally served with grilled beef.
[140—CHIVRY OR RAVIGOTE BUTTER]
Put into a small saucepan of salted, boiling water six oz. of chervil, parsley, tarragon, fresh pimpernel, and chives, in equal quantities, and two oz. of chopped shallots. Boil quickly for two minutes, drain, cool in cold water, press in a towel to completely remove the water, and pound in a mortar. Now add one-half lb. of half-melted butter, mix well with the purée of herbs, and pass through tammy.
This butter is used to complete Chivry sauce and other sauces that contain herb juices, such as the Venetian, &c.
[140a—CHÂTEAUBRIAND[!-- TN: circumflex invisible --] BUTTER]
Reduce by two-thirds four-fifths pint of white wine containing four chopped shallots, fragments of thyme and bay, and four oz. of mushroom parings. Add four-fifths pint of veal gravy, reduce the whole to half, rub it through tammy, and finish it away from the fire with eight oz. of Maître d’Hôtel butter (No. [150]) and half a tablespoonful of chopped tarragon.
[141—COLBERT BUTTER]
Take one lb. of Maître d’Hôtel butter (No. [150]) and add six tablespoonfuls of dissolved, pale meat glaze and one teaspoonful of chopped tarragon.
Serve this sauce with fish prepared à la Colbert.
[55]
][142—RED COLOURING BUTTER]
Put on to a dish any available remains of shell-fish after having thoroughly emptied and well dried them in the oven. Pound them until they form a fine powder, and add their weight of butter.
Put the whole into a saucepan and melt in a [bain-marie], stirring frequently the while. When the butter is quite clarified strain it through muslin, twisting the latter over a tureen of iced-water in which the strained butter solidifies. Put the congealed butter in a towel, press it heavily so as to expel the water, and keep cool in a small bowl.
Remarks.—A very fine and decided red colour is obtained by using paprika as a condiment for sauces intended for poultry and certain butcher’s meats, in accordance with the procedure I recommend for the Hongroise. But only the very best quality should be used—that which is mild and at the same time produces a nice pink colour without entailing any excess of the condiment. Among the various kinds of paprika on the market I can highly recommend that of Messrs. Kotangi, which I have invariably found satisfactory.
[143—GREEN COLOURING BUTTER]
Peel, wash, and thoroughly shake (so as to get rid of every drop of water) two lbs. of spinach. Pound it raw and then press it in a strong towel, twisting the latter so as to extract all the vegetable juice. Pour this juice into a sautépan, let it coagulate in a [bain-marie], and pour it on to a serviette stretched over a bowl in order to drain away the water. Collect the remains of the colouring substance on the serviette, making use of a palette-knife for the purpose, and put these into a mortar; mix with half their weight of butter, strain through a sieve or tammy, and put aside to cool. This green butter should in all cases take the place of the liquid green found on the market.
[144—VARIOUS CULLISES]
Finely pound shrimp and crayfish shells, and combine with these the available creamy parts and spawn of the common and spiny lobsters; add one-quarter pint of rich cream per lb. of the above remains, and strain, first through a fine sieve and then through tammy. This cullis is prepared just in time for dishing up, and serves as a refining principle in certain fish sauces.
[56]
][145—SHRIMP BUTTER]
Finely pound any available shrimp remains, add to these their weight of butter, and strain through tammy. Place in a bowl and put aside in the cool.
[146—SHALLOT BUTTER]
Put eight oz. of roughly minced shallots in the corner of a clean towel, and wash them quickly in boiling water. Cool, and press them heavily. Then pound them finely with their own weight of fresh butter and strain through tammy.
This butter accentuates the savour of certain sauces, such as Bercy, Ravigote, &c.
[147—CRAYFISH BUTTER]
Pound, very finely, the remains and shells of crayfish cooked in [Mirepoix]. Add their weight of butter, and strain through a fine sieve, and again through tammy, so as to avoid the presence of any shell particles. This latter precaution applies to all shell-fish butters.
[148—TARRAGON BUTTER]
Quickly scald and cool eight oz. of fresh tarragon, drain, press in a towel, pound in a mortar, and add to them one lb. of butter. Strain through tammy, and put aside in the cool if it is not to be used immediately.
[149—LOBSTER BUTTER]
Reduce to a paste in the mortar the spawn, shell, and creamy parts of lobster. Add their equal in weight of butter and strain through tammy.
[150—BUTTER A LA MAÎTRE D’HÔTEL]
First [manie] and then soften into a cream one-half lb. of butter. Add a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, a little salt and pepper, and a few drops of lemon-juice.
Serve this with grills in general.
[151—MANIED BUTTER]
Mix, until perfectly combined, four oz. of butter and three oz. of sifted flour. This butter is made immediately before the time of dishing up, and is used for quick leasons like the Matelotes, &c.
[57]
]The sauce to which manied butter has been added should not boil if this can possibly be avoided, as it would thereby acquire a very disagreeable taste of raw flour.
[151a—MELTED BUTTER]
This preparation, which is used principally as a fish sauce, should consist of butter, only just melted, and combined with a little table-salt and a few drops of lemon-juice. It should therefore be prepared only at the last minute; for, should it wait and be allowed to clarify, besides losing its flavour it will be found to disagree with certain people.
[152—BUTTER A[!-- TN: original reads "À" --] LA MEUNIÈRE]
Put into a frying-pan the necessary quantity of butter, and cook it gently until it has acquired a golden tint and exudes a slight smell of nut. Add a few drops of lemon-juice, and pour on the fish under treatment, which should have been previously sprinkled with [concassed] parsley.
This butter is proper to fish “à la Meunière” and is always served on the fish.
[153—MONTPELLIER BUTTER]
Put into a saucepan containing boiling water equal quantities of watercress leaves, parsley, chervil, chives, and tarragon (six oz. in all), one and one-half oz. of chopped shallots, and one-half oz. of spinach leaves. Boil for two minutes, then drain, cool, press in a towel to expel water, and pound in a mortar with one tablespoonful of pressed capers, four oz. of gherkins, a garlic clove, and the fillets of four anchovies well washed.
Mix this paste with one and one-half lbs. of butter; then add the yolks of three boiled eggs and two raw eggs, and finally pour in, by degrees, two-fifths pint of oil. Strain through a fine sieve or through tammy, put the butter into a basin, and stir it well with a wooden spoon so as to make it smooth. Season with table-salt and a little cayenne.
Use this butter to deck large fish, such as salmon and trout; but it is also used for smaller pieces and slices of fish.
Remarks.—When this butter is specially prepared to form a coat on fish, the oil and the egg yolks are omitted and only butter is used.
[58]
][154—BLACK BUTTER]
Put into a frying-pan the necessary amount of butter, and cook it until it has assumed a brown colour and begins to smoke. At this moment add a large pinch of [concassed] parsley leaves and spread it immediately over the object to be treated.
[155—HAZEL-NUT BUTTER]
Put eight oz. of shelled hazel-nuts, for a moment, in the front of the oven, in order to slightly grill their skins and make them easily removable. Now crush the nuts in a mortar until they form a paste, and add a few drops of cold water with a view to preventing their producing any oil. Add their equivalent in weight of butter and rub through tammy.
[156—PISTACHIO BUTTER]
Put into boiling water eight oz. of pistachios, and keep them on the side of the fire until the peel may be easily removed. Drain, cool in cold water, clean the pistachios, and finely pound while moistening them with a few drops of water.
Add two oz. of butter and pass through tammy.
[157—PRINTANIER BUTTER]
These butters are made from all early-season vegetables, such as carrots, French beans, peas, and asparagus heads.
When dealing with green vegetables cook quickly in boiling, salted water, drain, dry, pound with their weight of butter, and rub through tammy.
With carrots: Mince and cook with consommé, sugar, and butter until the diluent is quite reduced. After cooling they are pounded with their own weight of butter and rubbed through tammy.
[59]
]CHAPTER V
Savoury Jellies or Aspics
Jellies are to cold cookery what consommés and stock are to hot. If anything, the former are perhaps more important, for a cold entrée—however perfect it may be in itself—is nothing without its accompanying jelly.
In the recipes which I give hereafter I have made a point of showing how melting jellies may be obtained, i.e., served in a sauce-boat simultaneously with the cold comestible, or actually poured over it when the latter lies in a deep dish—a common custom nowadays.
This method of serving cold entrées, which I inaugurated at the Savoy Hotel with the “Suprême de Volaille Jeannette,” is the only one which allows of serving a jelly in a state of absolute perfection.
Nevertheless, if a more solid jelly were required, either for the decking of cold dishes or for a moulded entrée, there need only be added to the following formulæ a few gelatine leaves—more or less—according to the required firmness of the jelly.
But it should not be forgotten that the greater the viscosity of the jelly the less value will the same possess.
The various uses of jellies are dealt with in Part II. of this work, where the formulæ of their divers accompanying dishes will also appear.
[158—ORDINARY ASPICS]
Stock for Ordinary Aspic.—Quantities for making Four Quarts.
4 lbs. of strung knuckle of veal.
3 lbs. of strung knuckle of beef.
3 lbs. of veal bones, well broken up.
3 calf’s feet, boned and [blanched].
½ lb. of fresh pork rind, well [blanched] and with fat removed.
Mode of Procedure.—Put the meats in a very clean and well-tinned stockpot or stewpan. Add eight quarts of cold water, boil, and skim after the manner indicated under [No. 1]. Having well skimmed the stock add one oz. of salt, put it on the side of [60] ]the fire, and let it boil gently for four hours. Then remove the meat, taking care not to disturb the stock. Carefully remove the fat, and garnish with one-half lb. of carrots, six oz. of onions, two oz. of leeks, a stick of celery, and a large faggot. Put the whole back on to the fire and cook gently for a further two hours. Strain through a sieve into a very clean basin and leave to cool.
Clarification of Aspic.—When the stock, prepared according to the above directions, has cooled, the grease that has formed on its surface should be removed. Then pour off gently into a stewpan of convenient size in such a way as to prevent the deposit at the bottom of the basin from mixing with the clear liquor. Test the consistence of the aspic, when it should be found that the quantities given above have proved sufficient to form a fairly firm jelly. If, however, this be not the case, a few leaves of gelatine steeped in cold water should be added, being careful not to overdo the quantity. Now add to the stock two lbs. of lean beef (first minced and then pounded together with the white of an egg), a little chervil and tarragon, and a few drops of lemon-juice. Place the saucepan on an open fire, stir its contents with a spatula until the liquid begins to boil, remove it from the fire, and place it on the side of the stove, where it may boil gently for half an hour.
At the end of this time take the saucepan off the fire and remove what little grease has formed on the aspic while cooking. Strain through a serviette stretched and fastened across the legs of an overturned stool, and let the aspic fall into a basin placed between the legs. Ascertain whether the liquid is quite clear, and if, as frequently happens, this be not the case, what has already been strained should once more be passed through the serviette, renewing the operation until the aspic becomes quite transparent.
Flavouring the Aspic.—The aspic obtained as above is limpid, has an agreeable savour, and is the colour of fine amber. It now only requires flavouring according to the tastes of the consumer and the purpose for which it is intended. For this operation it should be allowed to become quite tepid, and the following quantities of choice wine are added to it, viz.:—
If the wine is of a liqueur kind, such as Sherry, Marsala, Madeira, &c., one-fifth pint per quart.
If it is another kind of wine, for example, champagne, hock, &c., one-fourth pint per quart.
The wine used should be very clear, free from any deposit, and as perfect as possible in taste.
[61]
][159—CHICKEN ASPIC]
The quantities of meat are the same as for ordinary aspic; there need only be added to it either two oven-browned hens, or their equivalent in weight of roasted fowl carcases, and poultry giblets if these are handy. It is always better, however, to prepare the stock with the hens and giblets and to keep the carcases for the clarification. This clarification follows the same rules as that of the ordinary aspic, except that a few roasted-fowl carcases, previously well freed from fat, are added to it.
In the case of this particularly delicate aspic, it is more than ever necessary not to overdo the amount of gelatine. It should be easily soluble to the palate in order to be perfect.
[160—GAME ASPIC]
Prepare this aspic stock in exactly the same way as that of ordinary aspic, only substitute game, such as deer, roebuck, doe, or hare, or wild rabbit (previously browned in the oven), for the beef. When possible also add to this stock a few old specimens of feathered game, such as partridges or pheasants that are too tough for other purposes and which suit admirably here.
The clarification changes according to the different flavours which are to be given to the aspic. If it is not necessary to give it a special characteristic, it should be prepared with the meat of that ground game which happens to be most available at the time, adding to the quantity used roast carcases of feathered game, the respective amounts of both ingredients being the same as for ordinary aspic. If, on the other hand, the aspic is to have a well-defined flavour, the meat used for the clarification should naturally be that producing the flavour in question, i.e., either partridge or pheasant, or hazel-hen, &c.
Some aspics are greatly improved by being flavoured with a small quantity of old brandy. Rather than use an inferior kind of this ingredient, however, I should advise its total omission from the aspic.
Without aromatisation the aspic, though imperfect, is passable; but aromatised with bad brandy it is invariably spoilt.
LENTEN ASPICS
[161—FISH ASPIC WITH WHITE WINE]
The stock for this aspic is prepared in precisely the same manner as fish stock, [No. 1]. The stewpan need not, however, be buttered previous to the insertion of the onions, parsley-stalks, [62] ]and fish-bones. If the aspic is not required to be quite white, a little saffron may be added to it, as the aroma of this condiment blends so perfectly with that of fish.
When the stock is prepared its consistence should be tested, and rectified, if necessary, by means of gelatine. The quantity of this substance should on no account exceed eight leaves per quart of aspic, and, at the risk of repeating myself, I remind the reader that the less gelatine is used the better the aspic will be.
The clarification should be made with fresh caviare if possible, but pressed caviare is also admirably suited to this purpose. The quantities are the same as for the clarification of fish consommé, [No. 4].
In flavouring white fish aspics either dry champagne or a good Bordeaux or Burgundy may be used. Take care, however—
1. That the wine used be of an unquestionably good quality.
2. That it be only added to the aspic when the latter is already cold and on the point of coagulating, as this is the only means of preserving all the aroma of the wine.
Finally, in certain cases, a special flavour may be obtained by the use of crayfish, which are cooked, as for bisque, then pounded, and added to the fish stock No. [11] ten minutes before straining it. A proportion of four little crayfish à bisque per quart of aspic is sufficient to secure an excellent aroma.
[162—FISH ASPIC WITH RED WINE]
This aspic stock is the Court-bouillon with red wine No. [165], which has served in cooking the fish for which the aspic is intended; this fish is generally either trout or salmon; sometimes also, but less commonly, a carp or a pike.
This stock must first of all have its grease thoroughly removed; it should then be poured carefully away, reduced if necessary, and the required quantity of gelatine added. This cannot be easily determined, as all gelatines are not alike, and the stock may have contracted a certain consistence from its contact with the fish. One can, therefore, only be guided by testing small quantities cooled in ice, but care should be taken that the aspic be not too firm.
The clarification of this aspic is generally made with white of egg in the proportion of one white per quart. The white, half-whisked, is added to the cold stock, and the latter is put over an open fire and stirred with a spatula. As soon as it boils, the aspic is poured through a serviette fixed on to [63] ]the legs of an overturned stool. The first drippings of the fluid are put back on to the serviette if they do not seem clear, and this operation is repeated until the required clearness is obtained.
It almost invariably happens that, either during the cooking of the fish or during the clarification, the wine loses its colour through the precipitation of the colouring elements derived from the tannin.
The only way of overcoming this difficulty is to add a few drops of liquid carmine or vegetable red; but, in any case, it is well to remember that the colour of red-wine aspic must never be deeper than a sombre pink.
[64]
]CHAPTER VI
The Court-bouillons and the Marinades
[163—COURT-BOUILLON WITH VINEGAR]
Quantities Required for Five Quarts.
5 quarts of water.
½ pint of vinegar.
2 oz. of gray salt.
½ oz. of peppercorns.
¾ lb. of carrots.
1 lb. of onions.
A little thyme and bay.
2 oz. of parsley stalks.
Preparation.—Put into a saucepan the water, salt, and vinegar, the minced carrots and onions, and the parsley, thyme, and bay, gathered into a bunch. Boil, allow to simmer for one hour, rub through tammy, and put aside until wanted.
Remarks.—Put the peppercorns into the court-bouillon only twelve minutes before straining the latter. If the pepper were in for too long a time it would give a bitterness to the preparation. This rule also applies to the formulæ that follow, in which the use of peppercorns is also required.
This court-bouillon is principally used for cooking trout and salmon, as well as for various shell-fish.
[164—COURT-BOUILLON WITH WHITE WINE]
Quantities Required for Two Quarts.
1 quart of white wine.
1 quart of water.
3 oz. of minced onions.
1 large faggot.
½ oz. of gray salt.
A few peppercorns.
Preparation.—This is the same as for the court-bouillon with vinegar, except that it is boiled for half an hour and is strained through tammy.
Remarks.—If the court-bouillon has to be reduced the quantity of salt should be proportionately less. This preparation is principally used for poaching fresh-water fish.
[165—COURT-BOUILLON WITH RED WINE]
Use the same quantities as for court-bouillon with white wine, taking care—
1. To replace white wine by excellent red wine.
[65]
]2. To add four oz. of minced carrots.
3. To apportion the wine and water in the ratio of two-thirds to one-third.
Preparation.—The same as that of the former, with the same time for boiling.
Remarks.—If the court-bouillon is to be reduced, the salt should be less accordingly. When the court-bouillon with red wine is to constitute an aspic stock, fish [fumet] with enough gelatine takes the place of the water.
The uses of court-bouillon with red wine are similar to those of the white-wine kind.
[166—PLAIN COURT-BOUILLON]
The quantity of court-bouillon is determined by the size of the piece which it is to cover. It is composed of cold, salt water (the salt amounting to a little less than one-half oz. per quart of water), one-quarter pint of milk per quart of water, and one thin slice of peeled lemon in the same proportion. The fish is immersed while the liquor is cold; the latter is very slowly brought to the boil, and as soon as this is reached, the receptacle is moved to the side of the fire, where the cooking of the fish is completed.
This court-bouillon, which is used with large pieces of turbot and brill, is never prepared beforehand.
[167—SPECIAL COURT-BOUILLON, OR BLANC]
This preparation is a genuine court-bouillon, though it is not used in cooking fish.
The Quantities Required for Five Quarts of this Court-bouillon are:—
A little less than 2 oz. of flour.
1½ oz. of grey salt.
The juice of 3 lemons or ⅛ pint of good vinegar.
5 quarts of cold water.
Gradually mix the flour and the water; add the salt and the lemon juice, and pass through a strainer. Set to boil, and stir the mixture the while, in order to prevent the flour from precipitating; as soon as the boil is reached, immerse the objects to be treated. These are usually calf’s head or foot, previously [blanched]; sheep’s trotters, cocks’ kidneys or combs, or such vegetables as salsify, cardoon, &c.